PaleoGIS is a comprehensive collection of desktop tools allowing the user to create, display, and manipulate plate tectonic reconstructions through the ESRI ArcMap user interface. This application allows users to incorporate their own data into the reconstructions so the data can be evaluated in its paleogeographic context.

This documentation specifically applies to PaleoGIS 4.3.x running on ArcMap 10.3.x, 10.4.x, 10.5.x or 10.6.1. If you are using previous versions of PaleoGIS or ArcMap, some of the content and screenshots may not be accurate for the version you are using.

Accessing PaleoGIS in ArcMap

Click on the Customize option on the ArcMap main menu and click on Extensions. The following window will display:

Click on the PaleoGIS for ArcGIS checkbox to turn on the extension. It may take several seconds for the extension to turn on. If the box is already checked, PaleoGIS is already activated. Note: By clicking on PaleoGIS for ArcGIS to highlight it, the PaleoGIS properties will display in the Description box at the bottom of the window.

Click Close.
If the PaleoGIS toolbars are not already displayed, open them by clicking on View on the ArcMap main menu, and then click on Customize > Toolbars and select each of the PaleoGIS toolbars - PaleoGIS: Analysis Tools, PaleoGIS: Basic Functions, and PaleoGIS: Plate Model Tools.

Note: The PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar must be displayed for PaleoGIS to be fully enabled. The visibility of the other two toolbars can be set according to the user’s needs.

The PaleoGIS toolbars will be displayed. Note: The PaleoGIS toolbars can be anchored to the application frame in ArcMap by dragging them to the desired location.

Additional PaleoGIS functions can be accessed via the context menu that appears when right-clicking on a data frame name or layer in the Table of Contents. Selecting PaleoGIS from the context menu displays the menu shown below with the choices enabled when appropriate.

Supported Data Types for Use in PaleoGIS

PaleoGIS supports the reconstruction of point, multi-point, polyline and polygon vector data in shapefile, personal geodatabase, file geodatabase and SDE formats. Vector data can use any projection or coordinate system.

PaleoGIS can also reconstruct rasters (single- and multi-band) in grid, .jpg, .gif, .img, .png, .jp2, .tif, .bmp, personal geodatabase, and file geodatabase formats.

Basic Reconstruction Workflow

We begin by looking at the most common workflow for using PaleoGIS. PaleoGIS is a robust software package that can be used to do many plate tectonic modeling tasks, but for many users the goal is to simply reconstruct user data layers back to a particular geologic time using an existing published plate model. The workflow for doing this common task is described below. If you are unfamiliar with any ArcMap terms used in this section, please refer to Appendix A: ArcMap Skills.

Preparing for Reconstructions and/or Animations

First, turn on the PaleoGIS extension and display the PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar as described above in the Introduction to PaleoGIS section. Then open the Configuration window (see figure below) by clicking on the Configuration button on the PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar.

Select the desired plate model from the Select Model dropdown menu and click the Load Selected Plate Model button. The selected model will be loaded into memory and a new data frame containing the model’s plate polygons, and possibly some supporting data, will be added to the top of the ArcMap table of contents. All other data frames that existed before loading the model will remain in the map - they will just be moved below the new data frame. No data frames or data will be removed from the map.

The newly added top data frame will have the name of the plate model that you just loaded. This data frame is the PaleoGIS “present day” data frame because it now contains the present day version of the plate model polygons for the model that you just loaded. Do not insert any other data frames above this one because PaleoGIS always performs reconstructions and animations based on the top (present day) data frame.

Add User Data to be Reconstructed

One of the key features of PaleoGIS is that it can reconstruct user data back to its paleogeographic location. To reconstruct your data, simply add the desired data layers to the present day (top) data frame, and make sure that the visibility is turned on for those layers. Refer to the Supported Data Types for Use in PaleoGIS section for more information about the types of data that are acceptable for use in PaleoGIS.

Validate Data Layers

It is important to validate any data layers (vector or raster) before performing reconstructions on them. This is important because this process will tell you if the layers are not in a PaleoGIS supported format or contain any malformed geometries. Layers that are improperly formatted or contain malformed geometries cannot be reconstructed. You can validate a single layer or all the layers in the present day data frame by using the PaleoGIS context menu options as shown below.

A window will be displayed showing the results of the validation. This window also provides important tips for working with data layers in PaleoGIS:

If the validation windows says that a layer is not in a PaleoGIS supported format, you can create a copy of the data in a supported format (shapefile or a feature class in a Personal or File Geodatabase) by right-clicking on the layer in the Table of Contents and then choosing the Data > Export Data option. You can then add the exported data to the map.

If the validation window says that there are malformed geometries, run the Repair Layer tool on the specified layer. This tool calls the ESRI Repair tool and should fix any problems with the data layer. Note that the Repair Layer tool will change your data when making the repairs, so you should first make a backup copy of the data before running the tool.

Reconstructing Data Layers

After ensuring that the data layers are valid, you are ready to reconstruct your data. In the PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar you can either enter a numeric age in (Ma) manually or select a geologic age from the dropdown menu:

The numeric age range for each geologic age (based on the timescale being used - either default for the model or user selected) is shown in parenthesis next to each geologic age in the list. If you select a geologic age for the reconstruction, the reconstruction will be performed to the age in the middle of the age range.

To execute the reconstruction, click the Go button.

PaleoGIS will display a number of windows as it processes the user data layers and the plate model polygons. It will then display these reconstructed layers in a new data frame placed at the bottom of the table of contents. For more detailed information about reconstructing vector and raster layers, see the Reconstruction Tool section.

PaleoGIS: Basic Functions Toolbar

Note: All usage instructions in the sections below for the tools on this toolbar assume that the desired plate model has already been loaded in PaleoGIS as explained in the Basic Configuration Options section.

Reconstruction Tool: Used to perform reconstructions to the desired age.

Set Fixed Plate Tool: Sets the reference frame for reconstructions.

Clear Fixed Plate Tool: Resets the reference frame to the default value.

Point Path Visualization: Draws a path on the map showing the movement of a single point over a specified time range and also graphically displays the point’s speed and direction of movement. This tool is only activated in the present day (i.e., the top) data frame.

Instantaneous Motion: Draws a grid of arrows on a reconstructed map to show the speed and direction of motion for all plates at that time. This tool is only activated in reconstructed data frames.

Animation Tool: Allows the user to create animations of plate movement over time.

Quick Spin Tool: Changes the map projection to "The World From Space", and then re-centers the map to a specified point.

Configuration Button: Opens the Configuration window.

Help Button: Opens PaleoGIS Help. It will first attempt to access an online version of the user documentation. If that fails, it will access a local copy.

Reconstruction Tool

This is the most commonly used tool in PaleoGIS. It is used to perform plate model reconstructions to the geologic age of interest.

Load a plate model and user data layers (vector and/or raster) to be reconstructed. See the sections below for detailed information about reconstructing vector and raster layers, and refer to the Supported Data Types for Use in PaleoGIS section for detailed information about the types of data that are acceptable for use in PaleoGIS.

Select a reconstruction age using one of these methods:

Enter a numeric value in the Age textbox. Note: All numeric ages must be entered as millions of years ago (Ma), e.g. 1 = 1 million years ago.

Choose a geologic age from the dropdown list. The numeric age range for each geologic age (based on the timescale being used - either default for the model or user selected) is shown in parenthesis next to each geologic age in the list. If you select a geologic age for the reconstruction, the reconstruction will be performed to the age in the middle of the age range.

Press the Go button to begin the reconstruction.

Reconstructing Vector Layers

When you press the Go button, PaleoGIS performs a number of operations as part of the reconstruction process. First, PaleoGIS compares the list of visible layers in the present day data frame to the list of layers in the data cache. Layers are added and/or deleted from the cache in order to synchronize the cache with the present day data frame.

Next, PaleoGIS performs an intersection routine on any new layers in the cache using the currently loaded plate model polygons. This process is often called “cookie cutting” because the plate model polygons are used like lots of little cookie cutters to slice up the features in the user data layers. The attributes from the plate model polygons (plate code, appearance age, and disappearance age) are transferred to the attribute table of the user data layer during this process. The user data layers are now “coded” with the information necessary for PaleoGIS to reconstruct their features back to a given geologic age.

At this point, the reconstruction is performed. If the currently loaded model supports deformation, and the Enable deformation option is selected in the Advanced Options tab in the Configuration window, deformation will be applied to any applicable areas in the vector layers when they are reconstructed.

It is important to understand that PaleoGIS is not directly reconstructing the data layers that are contained in the present day data frame. PaleoGIS is reconstructing the copy of these layers in the cache that has been intersected with the plate model polygons. The original data is not changed during the intersection or reconstruction process.

You can perform the “caching” process explicitly by right-clicking on the present day data frame and choosing the PaleoGIS > Refresh Cache option from the context menu. This may be helpful if you are receiving an error while performing a reconstruction and you want to determine if the problem is actually occurring while the layers are being copied to the cache or while being reconstructed.

Also, make sure to run the PaleoGIS > Refresh Cache option if you have edited a data layer and want these edits to be reflected in reconstructions or animations. Otherwise, if you make changes to a data layer that has already been copied to the cache, PaleoGIS will not know that the layer has been changed and it will reconstruct the layer as it was before the edits were made.

Reconstructing Raster Layers

Raster reconstruction in PaleoGIS is performed by resampling the raster and converting it to a point feature class and then reconstructing the points to the selected age. Once the reconstruction is complete, the points are converted back to a raster, which is the reconstruction output. Before the input raster is initially converted to a point feature class, the user is allowed to select the resampled cell area as a percentage (from <1% to 100%) of the original cell area, where a higher percentage will give higher resolution results, while a lower percentage will improve reconstruction performance.

Currently, only one raster can be reconstructed at a time using this method, but a single raster can be reconstructed at the same time as any number of vector layers.

To reconstruct a raster, add the raster to the present day map and make sure its visibility is turned on. Next select or enter a reconstruction age in the PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar and then click the Go button. This window will open:

The Post-process raster option uses an interpolation algorithm to eliminate null values in the reconstructed raster. This option produces more aesthetically pleasing results, but it also increases the reconstruction time.

The resampled raster resolution will be automatically set to a recommended level, but if a different resolution is desired, use the slider to increase or decrease the percentage. Alternatively, you can enter a numeric percent value in the text box to the right of the slider. The estimated reconstruction time and the resampled cell size will be displayed in the area below the slider. Note that there will not be a time estimate provided the first time a raster reconstruction is run after PaleoGIS is installed.

Once you have the resampled resolution selected, click the Continue button to start the reconstruction.

Once the reconstruction is complete, the Use resampled raster from cache option will be enabled for subsequent reconstructions of the raster that was just reconstructed. This option reduces reconstruction time because it reuses the present day point feature class that was created for the previous reconstruction.

Set Fixed Plate Tool

The Set Fixed Plate tool is used to set the reconstruction reference frame to a selected plate. The result is that the selected reference plate will not move from its present day position (i.e., it will be “fixed” in place) while all other plates will move relative to the selected plate’s position.

Note: When a fixed plate is set, the paleo latitude and longitude values in reconstructions will not be valid since the reference frame is no longer tied to the graticule.

Click on the Set Fixed Plate tool .The cursor will change to a cross shape and the plate polygon layer in the Table of Contents will be automatically selected (it will be highlighted in blue).

Use one of the following methods to select the fixed plate:

Click on the desired reference plate (i.e., the plate to be fixed). The selected plate will flash and a message indicating the fixed plate ID number will appear in the lower left corner of the ArcMap window.

Hold down the Shift key and click anywhere on the map. This window will open:

Select the desired reference plate from the dropdown list and then click the OK button. The window will close and a message indicating the fixed plate ID number will appear in the lower left corner of the ArcMap window.

Note: At any time you can find out which plate is fixed (if any), by hovering the mouse cursor over the Set Fixed Plate tool button, which will display a tooltip showing the current reference plate.

Clear Fixed Plate Tool

Resets the reference frame to the default value.

Click on the Clear Fixed Plate tool . The map reference frame will revert back to the default “spin axis” reference frame.

You will notice a message in the lower left corner of the ArcMap window confirming that the map reference frame has been set back to 0000 (the spin axis).

Point Path Visualization

Note: This tool now combines the functionality of the Point Path Visualization and Azimuth and Rate vs. Time tools from previous versions of PaleoGIS.

The Point Path Visualization tool operates on present day maps (not on reconstructed maps), so the tool button will only be activated when the present map is activated.

This tool calculates the speed and direction of movement for a single point over a specified time range at specified step intervals. The resulting data is then presented in two ways:

1) A line is added to the map showing the path of the point over the specified time period, with the width of the line indicating the speed of the point at different times. The starting point of the line is the present day location of the point and the end of the line is its position at the oldest analysis step.

2) Two graphs are generated - one of the speed of motion of the point during each step interval over the specified time period and one of the direction (azimuth) of motion during each step interval over the specified time period.

This tool is useful for evaluating the paleo latitude and longitude of a point over time. However, it is important to note that the paleo coordinates generated by this tool are only valid if the tool is run without a fixed plate. If there is a fixed plate set when the tool is run, the output will show the motion of the point relative to the fixed plate instead of relative to the “spin axis” reference frame.

This tool is also useful for plate modelers because the analysis can highlight rapid changes in plate direction and/or unreasonable speeds which may indicate errors in the plate model.

Activate the present-day map (i.e., the top data frame).

Click on the Point Path Visualization tool . The cursor will change to a pointing hand and this window will open:

Click on the desired point on the map. A red dot will appear on the clicked point on the map and the plate containing the point will flash. In addition the Latitude and Longitude fields in the window will be populated with the coordinates of the clicked point and the Plate ID field will be populated with the plate code for the plate containing the point.

Alternatively, you can manually enter the coordinates for the desired point in the Latitude and Longitude fields, and a point will be added to that location on the map and the Plate ID field will be populated based on the entered coordinates.

If there is a fixed plate, the plate ID of the fixed plate will be indicated in the Reference Plate field. If there isn’t a fixed plate, this field value will be “0”. While the Point Path Visualization window is open, you can set a fixed plate using the Set Fixed Plate tool and then click on the Point Path Visualization window and the Reference Plate field will update.

Enter the desired Start Age in Ma for the analysis. The End Age will always be 0 Ma (i.e., the present day).

In the Step Interval field, enter the interval in millions of years for the analysis steps.

The Calculate using half rates option can be used to show the speed and direction of movement of the point of interest relative to a mid-ocean spreading ridge, rather than relative to the earth’s spin axis or another plate. For proper use of this option, the reference plate should first be set (using the Fixed Plate Tool), to be the plate that is moving in the opposite direction from the spreading ridge relative to the plate selected for this analysis. For example, if the point being analysed is in S. America, then to use Calculate using half rates to show the movement of the point relative to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Africa should be set as the reference plate since S. America is moving away from the spreading ridge at half the rate that it is moving away from Africa.

The Show results table when finished option opens a table when the analysis is done that gives the starting/end latitude and longitude, direction and rate of motion for each interval in the analysis. This table can be easily exported for later use (select Export... from the Table Options menu in the upper left-hand corner of the table).

Click the Start button.

The analysis will be run and the results will be displayed as a line layer on the map where the line thickness represents that speed (cm/yr) at which the point was moving at various times, and the numbers represent ages in millions of years:

In addition a window will open containing graphs of the point’s azimuth and rate over the specified time interval:

Instantaneous Motion

This tool operates on the last reconstructed map (not on the present day map or previously run reconstructions).

The Instantaneous Motion tool draws a regularly-spaced grid of arrows on a reconstructed map to show the speed and direction of motion for the location under each arrow at that time. This tool operates by generating a grid of points with user-defined spacing (default = 4 degrees) and assigning the points to the plates in their present day locations. The points are then reconstructed to the time of the reconstructed map, followed by a reconstruction to a slightly older time based upon a user-defined age delta (default = 100,000 years). The positions of the points from the two reconstructions are then compared and the results are used to create a map layer of arrows that indicate the direction and relative speed of movement of each point at that moment in time.

This analysis can be used to illustrate the "instantaneous" stresses affecting the plates. By comparing the motion between plates, the relative plate interactions can be inferred (colliding, diverging, translation, trans-tension, and/or transpression).

Perform a reconstruction to the desired age. This tool will not work on the present day map.

Click on the Instantaneous Motion tool and this window will open:

If you want a Grid increment that is different than the default, type it in or use the up/down arrows to enter a new grid spacing.

If you want a Delta to add to reconstruction age that is different than the default, type it in or use the up/down arrows to enter the new delta.

In the Analysis Area section, select either Whole Map or AOI (Area of Interest) as the area for the analysis to evaluate. If AOI is selected, only the currently visible area of the map will be evaluated, i.e., if you are zoomed-in to a region on the map, only that region will be considered in the analysis. This can speed up processing if you are using a very detailed plate model and you are only interested in the results for a small area.

Click the Calculate button.

The analysis will be processed and the results added to the map as a point layer with each point symbolized as an arrow (see image below). The direction of each arrow indicates that point’s direction of motion at the time of the reconstruction, and the size of the arrow indicates its speed. The calculated speed in (cm/yr) is shown above each arrow on the map.

Animation Tool

The Animation tool creates animations of plate movement over time by performing reconstructions at specified time intervals over a specified time range, and then exporting the reconstructions as a series of JPEG or GIF images.

Starting in the present day map, zoom into the area on the map that you want to see in the animation. Only the area that is visible in the map window will appear in the animation.

Click on the Animation tool and this window will open:

In the Start Age field, either enter a numeric animation start age in Ma or select a geologic age from the dropdown menu.

In the End Age field, either enter a numeric animation end age in Ma or select a geologic age from the dropdown menu.

In the Step Interval field, either enter an interval in millions of years or click to the desired interval using the up/down arrows.

If desired, change the animation output folder name in the Animation Name field. The default output path for the animation folder is the PaleoGIS scratch directory, but this can be changed by clicking on the ellipsis button to the right of the Path field, and then browsing to the new output location.

The Output Format option determines the image file format that will be used for the output reconstructions. If the GIF option is chosen, once the animation is completed you will have the option of saving it as an animated GIF file.

The View animation when complete option automatically opens the Animation Viewer window when the animation is finished processing. The Remove data frames from TOC option automatically removes each reconstruction data frame from the Table of Contents when the next animation reconstruction data frame is created. If this option is not selected, all of the reconstruction data frames for the animation will remain in the Table of Contents. Note: By default, these options will be automatically selected.

Each output image file in the specified output folder will be numbered starting with the value in the File Counter Start text box. Enter the desired start number if a value other than 0000 (the default) is required. This numbering allows the animation output frames to be easily imported and animated in third party image editing programs like Blender.

If you are using a plate model that contains time slices and you want to include the time slices in your animation, select the Include time slice layers in animation option. If the plate model does not contain time slices, selecting this option will have no effect on the animation.

On the Misc. tab in the Animation window, you have the option of including an Instantaneous Motion analysis in each frame of the animation. This option operates exactly the same as the Instantaneous Motion tool. Note: For animations it is recommended that the Whole Map option for the Analysis Area is used even if you are zoomed into a small area of the map for the animation.

Click the Start button The animation reconstructions will begin.

When all of the animation reconstructions are done, if the View animation when complete option was selected, the animation will open in the Animation Viewer window (see below).

The individual frames from the completed animation will be automatically saved in the selected format (GIF or JPEG) in a folder with the name and path specified for the animation in step 6) above.

Previously created animations can be viewed at anytime by clicking on the View Existing Animation button and navigating to the desired animation output folder in the browse window that opens. Select the desired folder and click OK. The animation will then open in the Animation Viewer window.

Click Play to run the animation. Click Stop to stop the animation. The Close button closes the Animation Viewer window and the Full Size button makes the window twice as large.

There are a number of options available on the Animation Viewer to change the animation speed, direction and looping. Clicking the up/down arrows in the Frame box allows you to manually step through the animation frames.

If you selected GIF as the output format for the animation, one of the available controls will be a Save to Animated GIF button. Clicking this button will save the animation as an animated GIF at a specified location. The saved animated GIF will have the same properties (i.e, speed, direction, looping) as the animation in the Animation Viewer window.

Quick Spin Tool

The Quick Spin tool changes the map projection to "The World From Space", and then re-centers the map to a specified point.

Click on the Quick Spin tool . The map projection will change to “The World From Space”.

Click on the desired point on the map and the map will re-center itself on the selected point.

To revert back to the map’s previous projection, click on another tool (such as the ArcMap Select Elements tool) in order to deselect the Quick Spin tool, and then re-click on the Quick Spin tool button.

Note: The “The World From Space” projection has become slower with every release of ArcMap since 9.0, so it may take a long time for the map to redraw in this projection.

Configuration Window

To open the PaleoGIS Configuration window, click on the Configuration button . PaleoGIS is highly configurable and the options and settings on the various tabs in the Configuration window allow you to customize PaleoGIS operation to best suit the analysis being performed. Common configuration changes include:

Changing the currently loaded plate model.

Adding plate models to PaleoGIS.

Changing timescale sorting or switching to an alternate timescale.

Changing the content of the reconstruction map labels.

Basic Configuration Options

The Basic Options tab provides the plate model and timescale options described below.

Loading a Plate Model

Select the desired model from the Select Model dropdown menu.

Click the Load Selected Plate Model button.

The selected model will be loaded into memory and a new data frame containing the model’s plate polygons, and possibly some supporting data, will be added to the top of the ArcMap table of contents. The name of the new data frame will be the name of the plate model that was just loaded. All other data frames that existed before loading the model will remain in the map - they will just be moved below the new data frame. No data frames or data will be removed from the map.

Adding (Registering) a Plate Model in PaleoGIS

Click on the Register Model button and the following window will display:

Click on the browse button and then navigate to and select the plate model database. The file name will end with a .mdb (Microsoft Access database) extension.

Click the Open button in the browse window.

The Model Settings Table text box will usually be automatically filled in with a table name. If, however, this box is enabled as a dropdown menu, you must select the appropriate model settings table from the menu. You may need to contact the plate model vendor for this information.

Enter a model name or accept the default in the Model Name text box.

If you want to model to load immediately after clicking OK, leave the Load model after registering box checked, otherwise, uncheck this option.

Click OK.

The model will now be added to the plate models that are available in the Select Model menu, and if the Load model after registering option was selected, the newly added model will load immediately.

Removing (Unregistering) a Plate Model from PaleoGIS

Be sure that the plate model you wish to remove is not the currently load plate model. If it is, load a different plate model before proceeding.

Select the plate model to be removed in Select Model dropdown menu.

Click on the Unregister Model button, and click the Yes button in response to the message that appears.

Timescale Options

To switch to a non-default timescale, check the Do age conversion checkbox and select the desired timescale from the dropdown menu below the checkbox. This will cause PaleoGIS to convert ages from the selected timescale to the equivalent age in the loaded model’s default timescale.

To change the age sorting in the PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar’s Age menu, select the desired Timescale Age Sorting option - either Alphabetical or Chronological.

Configuration Database Location

Gives the path to the database (PaleoGIS_settings.mdb) that contains the PaleoGIS application settings.

Advanced Configuration Options

Deformation

The Enable deformation option enables deformation of vector layers when reconstructed by models that support deformation. Selecting this option for non-deforming models will have no effect on reconstruction outputs.

Time Slice Layers

The Enable time slice layers option enables Time Slice Viewer functionality in plate models that contain time slice layers. If a model contains time slices, the Time slice path will be the path to the directory where the time slice layers are located. However, it is possible for this path to be empty even if a model contains time slices since the time slices may be contained in the plate model geodatabase. More details on Time Slice Viewer operation is available in the Time Slice Viewer section of this document.

Plate Model Editing

Ignore children – Removes the linkage between a parent plate and its children when making changes to the parent plate's poles of rotation using the Drag and Drop, Spin and Drop and Enter Pole tools on the Plate Model Tools toolbar.

Other

Skip repairing features - Improves reconstruction performance by skipping the repair of any invalid features that might be created as a result of the intersection process between the plate model "cookie cutter" layer and user data layers.

Ignore assigned ages - Causes reconstructions and animations to ignore the “appearance” and “disappearance” fields in the plate model and user data layers. This means that regardless of the reconstruction age, all plate model polygons and all user data features that intersect a plate model polygon will be reconstructed and displayed during reconstructions and animations.

Add unique ID to cache – Adds a “PaleoUniqueId” field to the attribute tables of all layers when they are copied to the cache, which is automatically populated with a unique ID number for each feature in the cached layer. This field is then persisted to reconstructed and animated layers, where it can be used to trace the lineage of a reconstructed feature back to the present day.

Label Options

All reconstructed maps, including animations, in PaleoGIS contain a label that provides information about the reconstruction such as the reconstruction age, plate model used, etc. The Label Options tab provides the ability to customize the location and content of this label.

Label Text

The Numeric age, Geologic age, “[Relative to]”, Plate model name and Timescale name checkboxes allow you to control what information appears in the map label. When these options are checked/unchecked the sample label below the checkboxes will show a preview of how the label will look using information from the currently loaded plate model.

Note: You can turn on/off most of the label text, however, “PaleoGIS” and the plate model citation cannot be turned off and will always appear in the label.

The Left align text option left justifies the text in the label. The sample label will show a preview of how the label will look with and without this option selected.

Label Position

To change the location of the label in the reconstructed maps, use the selection buttons in the map diagram to choose one of the eight available positions.

Miscellaneous Settings

Scratch and Cache Paths

The Scratch Path is the location for the “scratch directory” which is the output location for all PaleoGIS results.

The Cache Path is the location of the PaleoGIS data cache.

For both of these settings, browse to the desired folder location in the navigation window that appears when the respective setting button (Change Scratch Path or Change Cache Path) is clicked. Note that PaleoGIS will automatically add the cache name “cache.gdb” to the end of the cache path once you have browsed to and selected a folder for the cache.

Licensing

Keep the ByPass Expect100Continue Header option checked unless your IT person instructs you to do otherwise.

Application Settings

The values for most options in the Basic Options, Advanced Options, Label Options and Misc. Options tabs are saved to the “T_PaleoGIS_Settings” table in the PaleoGIS configuration database (PaleoGIS_Settings.mdb) so that they will be persisted between PaleoGIS sessions. Other less commonly used configuration options are also saved in the “T_PaleoGIS_Settings” table. This table can be accessed directly via the Application Settings tab. After making changes to the table in the Application Settings tab, click the Save Updates button to save the changes to PaleoGIS_Settings.mdb. For a complete list and description of all the available PaleoGIS application settings, refer to the PaleoGIS Application Settings section of this manual.

Model Settings

The Model Settings tab provides access to the settings for the currently loaded plate model. Detailed information about these settings can be found in the PaleoGIS Plate Modeler Manual Version 4.3.

Models

The Models tab provides a list of registered plate models and their source locations.

Timescales

The Timescales tab provides a list of the alternate timescales available with PaleoGIS and their source locations.

PaleoGIS: Plate Model Tools Toolbar

Genealogist Tool: Used to view the sub-plates (i.e. child plates) for a specified plate within a reconstruction data frame.

Pole Finder Tool: Displays the absolute and relative poles of rotation used for a specified plate within a reconstruction data frame.

Spin and Drop Tool: Allows the user to rotate a selected plate into a new position.

Drag and Drop Tool: Allows the user to drag a selected plate to a new position.

Enter Pole Tool: Allows the user to enter a new total finite or stage pole for a plate.

Undo Move Tool: Allows the user to undo the last plate movement made using the Spin and Drop, Drag and Drop and Enter Pole tools.

Redo Move Tool: After using the Undo Move tool, the user can use this tool to redo the last move.

Pole Saver Tool: Allows the user to save poles of rotation for plates that have been moved.

Pole Set Maintenance Tool: Allows the user to save, move, delete, and edit plate rotation data within the currently loaded plate model.

Time Slice Manager Tool: Facilitates time slice incorporation into plate models by allowing the user to make changes directly to the time slice table (TIMESLICE_LAYERS) in the plate model geodatabase, save time slice symbology inside of the geodatabase and view previously saved symbology.

Plate Model Symbology Tool: Allows the user to save display layer symbology inside of the plate model geodatabase and to view or delete symbology that was previously saved in the geodatabase.

Important: The POLE_SOURCE_1 table as specified in the Model Settings is the master pole rotation table for the currently loaded model. It is best to not make changes to this table, but instead to add another POLE_SOURCE table (e.g., POLE_SOURCE_2) to the model to hold pole changes. This will keep your original rotation table in its original state in case you need to revert to those poles. Another “safety” option to consider before editing the model is to make a copy of the entire plate model file as a backup in case your changes don’t go as planned.

Note: A reconstruction must first be performed in order for most of the tools on the PaleoGIS: Plate Model Tools toolbar to be enabled.

Genealogist Tool

The Genealogist tool is used to view the sub-plates (i.e. child plates) for a specified plate within a reconstruction data frame.

Run a reconstruction to the desired age.

Click on the Genealogist tool . The cursor will change to a cross shape and the plate polygon layer in the Table of Contents will be automatically selected (it will be highlighted in blue). If you want to use this tool on a layer other than the plate polygon layer, select the desired layer in the Table of Contents.

Click on the plate of interest in the map. Every plate that is a child of the selected plate will be selected (see figure below), and each of these plates will be labeled with a number. The number indicates each plate’s place in the hierarchy – 0 is the selected plate (the parent), 1 is a child, 2 is a grandchild, and so on.

Tip: When using the Genealogist tool you can clear the graphics created by the tool by holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys and then clicking the map. You can also de-selected all features by holding down Ctrl and clicking the map.

Note: If you click on overlapping plates in the map resulting in multiple plates being selected, the window below will display. In this case, select the desired plate from the dropdown list.

Pole Finder Tool

The Pole Finder tool is used to display the absolute and relative poles of rotation used for a specified plate within a reconstruction data frame

Run a reconstruction to the desired age.

Click on the Pole Finder tool . The cursor will change to a cross shape and the plate polygon layer in the Table of Contents will be automatically selected (it will be highlighted in blue). If you want to use this tool on a layer other than the plate polygon layer, select the desired layer in the Table of Contents.

Click on the plate of interest in the map. The pole information for the plate for the current reconstruction will be displayed as follows:

You can view both the absolute and relative poles for the selected plate by toggling the Absolute and Relative options at the top of the form.

Note: In step 3), if you click on overlapping plates in the map resulting in multiple plates being selected, the window below will display. In this case, select the desired plate from the dropdown list.

Spin and Drop Tool

The Spin and Drop tool is used to rotate a selected plate into a new position.

Run a reconstruction to the desired age.

If there is more than one layer in the map, make the plate polygon layer the only selectable layer.

Using the Select Features tool , click on the plate to be moved. When a single plate has been selected, the Spin and Drop tool will be enabled. The tool will not be enabled if multiple plates are selected.

After the plate has been selected, click on the Spin and Drop tool and click on the three points that construct a “pole of rotation” for that plate. The second point will be the axis about which the spin will occur. Note that this “pole of rotation” is merely a graphical tool that allows you to move the selected plate to a new position. This is not the pole that will move the plate during reconstructions - the “real” pole that will be added to the rotation table is automatically calculated by PaleoGIS based on the location of the plate after it has been moved to its final position during the plate editing session.

After clicking on the third point, the selected plate and any of its children will automatically move to the new position:

Note: If you don’t wish for child plates of the selected plate to move during this operation, select the Ignore children option on the Advance Options tab in the Configuration window.

Save the changes using the Pole Saver Tool.

Drag and Drop Tool

The Drag and Drop tool is used to linearly offset the position of a selected plate to a new position.

Run a reconstruction to the desired age.

If there is more than one layer in the map, make the plate polygon layer the only selectable layer.

Using the Select Features tool , click on the plate to be moved. When a single plate has been selected, the Drag and Drop tool will be enabled. The tool will not be enabled if multiple plates are selected.

After the plate has been selected, click on the Drag and Drop tool and then click on the starting point and followed by the ending point representing the distance and direction of the drag:

After clicking on the ending point, the selected plate and any of its children will automatically move to the new position:

Note: If you don’t wish for child plates of the selected plate to move during this operation, select the Ignore children option on the Advance Options tab in the Configuration window.

Save the changes using the Pole Saver Tool.

Enter Pole Tool

The Enter Pole tool allows the user to manually add pole values to a specific plate in the currently loaded plate model. This is useful for implementing precise pole values that have been calculated or obtained from published sources.

The Enter Pole tool accepts total finite poles and stage poles. In order for an entered pole to be correctly interpreted by PaleoGIS, the map reference frame must set to the reference frame that was used to calculate the pole value. In addition, this reference frame needs to correspond to the parent plate of the selected plate. For example, for a total finite relative pole for 50 Ma for S.America moving relative to Africa (i.e. the pole reference frame), the model to be modified should have Africa as the parent plate for S.America during the applicable geologic age, and Africa should be selected as the reference frame for the reconstruction.

Set the map to the correct reference frame using the Set Fixed Plate tool.

Run a reconstruction to the appropriate age for the pole being entered.

Using the Select Features tool , click on the plate of interest. When a single plate has been selected, the Enter Pole tool will be enabled. The tool will not be enabled if multiple plates are selected.

Click on the Enter Pole tool and the following window will display:

The pole values that are initially in the New Pole fields represent the total finite absolute pole that was used to move the selected plate to its current position.

Note: The Map Reference Frame and the Parent Plate values must be the same for correct implementation of the entered pole. If these values are different, re-run the reconstruction with the map in the appropriate reference frame before continuing.

Enter the Latitude, Longitude, Angle for the new pole in the appropriate New Pole fields.

Select the Pole Type: Total Finite or Stage.

Click OK. The plate will move to the position determined by the new pole.

Note: If you don’t wish for child plates of the selected plate to move during this operation, select the Ignore children option on the Advanced Options tab in the Configuration window.

Save the new pole using the Pole Saver Tool.

Pole Saver Tool

The Pole Saver tool is used to save new poles of rotations that have either been calculated by PaleoGIS for plates moved using the Spin and Drop and Drag and Drop tools or that have been manually entered using the Enter Pole tool.

After a plate has been moved to the desired position or new poles have been entered for a plate, click on the Pole Saver tool and the following window will open:

You will see the entry for the newly calculated or entered pole. To make changes, click inside the field and enter the new information.

To delete a row, select the row by clicking in the far right column and press the “Delete” key on your keyboard. Note that edits and deletes cannot be undone.

To save the new pole, click Save and then click Close to exit the window. If you want to discard the new pole without saving, click Close without first clicking Save.

Note: If you want the ability to make pole changes to multiple plates before saving, change the Application Setting EDIT_SKIP_PLATE_LIST value to FALSE (the default setting is TRUE). Then when the Pole Saver tool is clicked, the window below will open with a list off all the plates that have pole changes:

Click to highlight a plate to be edited or saved and click the Edit/Save Pole button. The Pole Saver Edit Window will open. Edit and/or save the pole as described starting in step 1 above. Repeat this process for the other plates in the Poles to Save window.

Pole Set Maintenance Tool

The Pole Set Maintenance tool allows the user to save, move, delete, and edit plate rotation data within the currently loaded plate model.

Click on the Pole Set Maintenance tooland the following window will display:

For the Move and Delete operations refer to the instructions in the specific section in this window. The Move and Delete operations cannot be undone after clicking the Move or Delete buttons (mistakes must be fixed manually using the Edit function), so use caution when using these tools.

To use the Edit function, select the rotation table to be edited from the dropdown menu and then click the Edit button. The the Pole Saver Edit Window will open containing the selected rotation table. Make changes manually to the table. These changes can be undone by clicking the Undo/Refresh button before the Save button is clicked, but once Save has been clicked, mistakes must be fixed manually.

Time Slice Manager Tool

The Time Slice Manager tool facilitates time slice incorporation into plate models by allowing the user to make changes directly to the time slice table (TIMESLICE_LAYERS) in the plate model geodatabase, save time slice symbology inside of the geodatabase and view previously saved symbology.

Note: To save time slice symbology to the plate model geodatabase, the time slice feature class must be contained in the plate model geodatabase.

Click on the Time Slice Manager tool and the following window will display:

Click on the browse button and then navigate to and select the target plate model geodatabase in the Select a Geodatabase window that opens. The file name will end with a .mdb (Microsoft Access database) extension.
Once a plate model geodatabase has been selected, the other buttons in the window will be enabled, and any existing time slices in the TIMESLICE_LAYERS table will be shown in the Time Slice Table section in the window:

If the plate model geodatabase does not already contain a TIMESLICE_LAYERS table, the table will be automatically created within the geodatabase when the geodatabase is opened in Step 2 above.
Time slice layers that currently have symbology saved in the plate model geodatabase will have a .lyr icon () in the LAYER column in the table.
Follow the instructions in the Time Slice Manager window for saving and viewing time slice symbology and for making edits/deletions in the table.

Plate Model Symbology Tool

The Plate Model Symbology tool allows the user to save display layer symbology (i.e., .lyr file) inside of the plate model geodatabase and to view or delete symbology that was previously saved in the geodatabase. This tool improves upon the Database layers application that previously had to be downloaded and added to the ArcMap in order to save symbology in a geodatabase.

Note: To save display layer symbology to the plate model geodatabase, the display layer feature class must be contained in the plate model geodatabase.

Click on the Plate Model Symbology tool and the following window will display:

Click on the browse button and then navigate to and select the target plate model geodatabase in the Select a Geodatabase window that opens. The file name will end with a .mdb (Microsoft Access database) extension.

Click the Add button in the Select a Geodatabase window.

Once a plate model geodatabase has been selected, the other buttons in the window will be enabled, and any plate model layers that currently have symbology saved in the geodatabase will be listed in the table in the View or Delete Symbology section:

Saving Symbology to the Plate Model Geodatabase

Add the feature class to be symbolized to the map. The feature class must be contained in the plate model geodatabase; however, it does not matter whether or not the feature class currently has symbology.

Change the symbology as desired. Once you have finished, click on the layer in the Table of Contents, and then click the Save Symbology button.

You will receive a warning message that the change you are about to make cannot be undone (you will get this message even if there is no existing symbology in the geodatabase for the feature class). Click OK to continue saving the symbology, and the save will be finalized.

Viewing or Deleting Existing Plate Model Symbology

Select a layer to be viewed by clicking on the corresponding row in the table, and then click Add to Map to load the symbolized layer into the map.

Select a layer to be deleted by clicking on the corresponding row in the table, and then click Delete. This will delete the symbology (.lyr file), but it will not delete the actual display layer feature class from the geodatabase.

PaleoGIS Analysis Tools Toolbar

The PaleoGIS Analysis Tools Toolbar provides access to the following tools:

Deformation Assistant: Simplifies adding deformation capabilities to a plate model.

Model Validator: Performs a number of checks to identify plate model issues.

Paleo Calculator: Performs common calculations used by plate modelers.

Paleo Data Converter: Converts between commonly used plate model data formats.

PaleoClimate: PaleoClimate is a fast-cycle parametric global climate modeling tool which is licensed separately from PaleoGIS. PaleoClimate will only launch from the PaleoGIS Analysis Tools Toolbar if you have purchased a license for this product.

Note: Custom proprietary analysis tools can be added to this toolbar for additional functionality. Please contact The Rothwell Group, L. P. for details.

Deformation Assistant

This tool simplifies adding deformation to a plate model by allowing rapid deformation preview and updating in both present day and reconstructed contexts. More information and instructions for using this tool can be found in the PaleoGIS Plate Model Deformation Version 4.3 manual.

Model Validator

The Model Validator performs a number of checks to identify plate model issues such as crossover problems and plates that are missing poles of rotation. More information and instructions for using this tool can be found in PaleoGIS Plate Modeler Manual Version 4.3.

Paleo Calculator

The Paleo Calculator provides four tools to perform calculations commonly used by plate modelers: pole addition, point rotation, pole position, and great circle distance. To use any of the tools, enter the required values in each white text field for the tool, and then click the Calculate button. The results will be displayed in the gray text box for the tool being used.

Paleo Data Converter

The Paleo Data Converter simplifies conversion between commonly used plate model data formats, making it easier to import models into PaleoGIS.

PaleoGIS Data Frame Context Menu

Save Reconstruction Tool: Allows the user save all the data layers shown in a reconstruction to a new directory for permanent storage. Until this is done, the layers are stored in the scratch directory and risk being deleted. The data is saved in a geodatabase along with layer files that will render the data with the symbology was assigned to it in the reconstruction.

Export to ArcGlobe Tool: Exports an entire data frame to ArcGlobe, assuming that ArcGlobe is installed. Once the data is exported, ArcGlobe will open and show the data and will allow manipulation.

Refresh Cache Tool: Refreshes the cached data for all the layers in the present day map (the top data frame). This operation copies all the data layers to the cache and then intersects (“cookie cuts”) the copied data with the plate model polygon layer. When edits are made to data in the present day map, the edits will not be automatically updated in the cached data; therefore, it is important to refresh that data in the cache to make sure the cache is up-to-date.

Empty Scratch Directory Tool: Clears all temporary data out of the scratch directory so that the directory does not grow too large. It is important to first run the “Save Reconstruction Tool” to save any reconstructions that need to be preserved. Note: this is a “blanket” delete – EVERYTHING in the scratch directory will be deleted, even non-PaleoGIS-related files.

Validate All Layers Tool: Validates all the layers in a data frame to make sure they are compatible with PaleoGIS by checking that the data is in a PaleoGIS supported format and that they do not contain malformed geometries.

Detailed information for using each tool is given below.

Save Reconstruction

This function allows a user to save all the data layers shown in a reconstruction to a new directory for permanent storage. Until this is done the layers will be stored in the scratch directory and risk being deleted if the scratch directory is emptied. After clicking Save Reconstruction the data is saved in a geodatabase along with layer files that will render the data with the symbology that was assigned to it in the reconstruction.

Right-click on the reconstructed data frame that you wish to save in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Save Reconstruction.

The following window will appear:

Browse to the desired location in the dialog box. You can also create a new directory using the Make New Folder button.

If desired, change the default “File name” for the saved reconstruction.

Click OK. The reconstruction data and layer files will be saved in the specified location.

When the save process is complete, a message with the output location will be displayed:

The output folder will contain a folder of layer files which link to the saved data contained a file geodatabase in the same folder. These layers files can be added to a map at any time in the future to view the reconstruction results.

Export to ArcGlobe

This function exports an entire reconstruction data frame to ArcGlobe, assuming that ArcGlobe is installed. Once the data is exported, ArcGlobe will open and show the data.

Right-click on any reconstructed data frame in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Export to ArcGlobe.

The status of this process will show in the ArcMap status bar in the bottom left corner of the ArcMap window.

When complete, ArcGlobe will appear with the layers loaded:

Note: For the best results, make the following changes to your ArcGlobe application before using the Export to ArcGlobe tool:

At the top of the ArcGlobe window select Customize > ArcGlobe Options:

In the window that opens, go to the Messages tab and make sure the Use wizard when adding a new layer option is NOT selected:

Refresh Cache

This tool refreshes the cached data for all the layers in the present day map (the top data frame) by copying all the data layers to the cache and then intersecting (“cookie cutting”) the copied data with the plate model polygon layer.

When you edit layers in the present day map, the edits will not be automatically updated in the cached data; therefore, it is important to refresh the cache after making edits to make sure that the cache is up-to-date, otherwise the edits will not appear in your reconstructions. Normally, PaleoGIS manages the cache automatically, but in the case of attribute and feature edits it does not.

Right-click on the present day (topmost) data frame in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Refresh Cache .

PaleoGIS will copy all visible data layers in the present day data frame to the cache and then intersect (“cookie cut”) the cached data with the plate model polygon layer.

Empty Scratch Directory

This tool clears all temporary data out of the scratch directory so that the directory does not grow too large. It will also delete any reconstructed data frames in your current MXD. Therefore is important to use the Save Reconstruction tool to save any reconstructed data frames in your map that you wish to preserve before emptying the scratch directory.

Note: this is a “blanket” delete – EVERYTHING in the scratch directory will be deleted, even non-PaleoGIS-related files. If there are any locked files, they will be left untouched until the next time this command is run.

Right-click on any data frame in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Empty Scratch Directory .

The following warning will appear. Click Yes to proceed.

When the process is complete, this message will appear:

Validate All Layers

This tool validates all the layers in a data frame to make sure they are compatible with PaleoGIS by checking that the data is in a PaleoGIS supported format and that they do not contain malformed geometries.

Right-click on the data frame to be validated in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Validate All Layers .

PaleoGIS will begin validating the layers in the data frame and window containing a status bar will be shown.

When complete, a Layer Validation Results window will display (see image below). It will contain the result of the validation for each layer in the data frame. Any problems will be noted here.

If the validation windows says that a layer is not in a PaleoGIS supported format, you can create a copy of the data in a supported format (shapefile or a feature class in a Personal or File Geodatabase) by right-clicking on the layer in the Table of Contents and then choosing the Data > Export Data option. You can then add the exported data to the map.

If the validation window says that there are malformed geometries, run the Repair Layer tool on the specified layer(s). This tool calls the ESRI Repair tool and should fix any problems with the data layer.

PaleoGIS Layer Context Menu

Refresh Cache for Single Layer: Refreshes the cached data for a single layer. When a layer is edited, the edits will not be automatically updated in the cached data; therefore, it is important to refresh that data in the cache to make sure the cache is up-to-date.

Un-Reconstruct Tool: Allows the user to add point, line, or polygon data layers to a reconstructed map and then do a “reverse” reconstruction on the data, moving the features to their present-day coordinates.

Validate Layer Tool: Validates a single layer to make sure it is compatible with PaleoGIS by checking that the data is in a PaleoGIS supported format and that it does not contain malformed geometries.

Repair Layer Tool: This tool will attempt to fix any geometry errors (i.e. null geometry, crossover polygons, etc.) so the layer will work within PaleoGIS.

Detailed information for using each tool is given below.

Refresh Cache for Single Layer

Refreshes the cached data for a single layer. When a layer is edited, the edits will not be automatically updated in the cached data; therefore, it is important to refresh that data in the cache to make sure the cache is up-to-date, otherwise the edits will not appear in your reconstructions. Normally, PaleoGIS manages the cache automatically, but in the case of attribute and feature edits it does not.

Right-click on the layer to be refreshed in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Refresh Cache for Single Layer .

PaleoGIS will copy the selected layer into the cache.

Un-Reconstruct

Allows the user to add point, line, polygon and raster data layers to a reconstructed map and then do a “reverse” reconstruction on the data, moving the features to their present day coordinates.

Run a reconstruction to the age of interest.

Add the data layer that you want to un-reconstruct to the reconstructed data frame. This data can be existing data that corresponds to the reconstruction age, or it can be a new layer that you might have created based on reconstructed features in the reconstructed map. There is no need to add any special attributes (such as appearance, disappearance, or plate code) to the data layers that are to be un-reconstructed, as these will be added automatically during the un-reconstruct process.

In the Table of Contents, right click on the layer to be un-reconstructed to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Un-Reconstruct .

PaleoGIS will do the processing required to intersect the data with the reconstructed plate model, and then move the data to its present day position.

When complete, the new layer will be added to the present day (topmost) data frame where it will be given its original name with “_0” appended to it.

In order to view the un-reconstructed data, you must activate the “Present Day” (topmost) layer.

Note: It is also possible to add features directly to a reconstructed layer in the reconstructed map, and then un-reconstructed the edited layer. However, since the reconstructed layer will already contain plate code, appearance, disappearance columns that were added during the original reconstruction, you must manually add these attribute values for the newly added features in order for them to to properly un-reconstruct.

Example:

The figure below shows 3 layers that have been added to a reconstruction – a point layer with 3 points, a line layer with 2 lines, and a polygon layer with 1 polygon.

The present day un-reconstruction for the 3 layers shown above looks like this:

Validate Layer

Validates a single layer to make sure it is compatible with PaleoGIS by checking that the data is in a PaleoGIS supported format and that it does not contain malformed geometries.

Right click on the layer to be validated in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Validate Layer .

PaleoGIS will begin validating the selected layer and window containing a status bar will be shown.

When complete, a Layer Validation Results window will display (see image below). Any problems with the validated layer will be noted here.

If the validation windows says that the layer is not in a PaleoGIS supported format, you can create a copy of the data in a supported format (shapefile or a feature class in a Personal or File Geodatabase) by right-clicking on the layer in the Table of Contents and then choosing the Data > Export Data option. You can then add the exported data to the map.

If the validation window says that there are malformed geometries, run the Repair Layer tool on the specified layer. This tool calls the ESRI Repair tool and should fix any problems with the data layer.

Repair Layer

This tool will attempt to fix any geometry errors (i.e. null geometry, crossover polygons, etc.) in a single layer so that the layer will work within PaleoGIS.

Note that the Repair Layer tool will change your data when making the repairs, so you should first make a backup copy of the data before running this tool.

Right-click on the layer to be repaired in the Table of Contents to access the PaleoGIS context menu and select Repair Layer .

The selected layer will be repaired using the ESRI Repair Geometry ArcToolbox tool. If there are any problems, they will be reported.

The layer will be moved to the top of the data frame when the repair process is complete, and a window showing the results of the repair operation will be displayed.

Time Slice Viewer

Certain plate models will now include pre-reconstructed data layers call “time slices” that can add valuable information to your reconstructions or improve reconstruction speed. The Time Slice Viewer automatically adds these time slices to reconstructions if they are available for the reconstruction age. The time slices may contain supplemental data or they can be pre-reconstructed plate model display layers that were included to improve processing speed by eliminating the need to reconstruct all of the model’s display layers.

To enable Time Slice Viewer functionality, check the Enable time slice layers option in the Advanced Options tab in the Configuration window.

Note that if the currently loaded plate model doesn’t contain time slices, then selecting this option will have no effect on PaleoGIS operation. If the model contains time slices, the Time slice path on the Advanced Options tab will be the path to the directory where the time slice layers are located. However, it is possible for this path to be empty even if the model contains time slices.

When the Time Slice Viewer is enabled, ages that have corresponding time slices in the model will be bolded in the Age dropdown menu on the PaleoGIS: Basic Functions toolbar:

In the example above, reconstructions to the Zanclean, Lutetian, or Hauterivian ages will cause time slice layers to be automatically added to the reconstruction map. The time slices will be added to the reconstructions if any of these ages are selected from the dropdown menu or if a numeric age that corresponds to one of these geologic ages is entered in the Age box.

When creating animations with a model that contains time slices, by default the time slices will not be included in the animation. However, if you would like for them to be included, check the Include time slice layers in animations option on the Animation window. Note that this option will not be available unless the Enable time slice layers option is checked in the Configuration window.

Time Slice Viewer functionality is only available when using the default timescale for the currently loaded plate model. If you choose to convert to an alternate timescale on the Basic Options tab in the Configuration window, the Time Slice Viewer functionality will be turned off even if the Enable time slice layers option is checked.

Using PaleoGIS with a Proxy Server

For PaleoGIS licensing to operate correctly, PaleoGIS must be able to contact the The Rothwell Group’s license server via the internet. If your company is using a proxy server, you will need to configure PaleoGIS to insure that it can access the internet through the proxy server firewall.

In the Applications Settings tab in the Configuration window, change the value for the PROXY_SERVER_SETTINGS_SHOW setting to TRUE, then click the Save Updates button at the bottom of the table.

Go to the Misc. Settings tab in the Configuration window. A section titled Proxy Server Information will now be present at the bottom of the page (see image below). Contact your IT person for the information required to fill in the spaces in this area. Note that, if necessary, the Username and Password spaces can be left empty. Once you have filled in the appropriate information, click the Save Proxy Server Settings button. You are now ready to use PaleoGIS.

PaleoGIS Application Settings

Below is a table of all the PaleoGIS application settings in the “T_PaleoGIS_Settings” table in the PaleoGIS configuration database (PaleoGIS_Settings.mdb). This table can be accessed via the Application Settings tab in the Configuration window or it can be accessed directly in PaleoGIS_Settings.mdb using Microsoft Access or ArcMap. The path to PaleoGIS_Settings.mdb is shown in the Configuration Database Location section in the Basic Options tab in the Configuration window.

T_PaleoGIS_Settings Table

Setting	Required	Example	Default	Function
ADD_UNIQUE_ID	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, adds a unique numeric ID field called “PaleoUniqueId” to the attribute tables of all vector layers when they are copied to the cache. This field is then persisted to the reconstructed and animated layers. This is useful if you want to trace the lineage of a reconstructed feature back to the present day feature. This setting corresponds to the “Add unique ID to cache” option in the Configuration window “Advanced Settings” tab.
ATB_AFTER_FC_RECON	No	ToolboxName\|ToolName	“”	If this value is set to valid “Toolbox Name\|Tool Name” pair, the PaleoGIS will run that Toolbox tool after each layer in the TOC is reconstructed. That tool can be a out-of-the-box ESRI tool, or a user-created tool. By default, no tool is run.
ATB_AFTER_RECONSTRUCTION	No	ToolboxName\|ToolName	“”	If this value is set to valid “Toolbox Name\|Tool Name” pair, the PaleoGIS will run that Toolbox tool after a reconstruction is completed. That tool can be a out-of-the-box ESRI tool, or a user-created tool. By default, no tool is run.
ATB_APP_STARTUP	No	ToolboxName\|ToolName	“”	If this value is set to valid “Toolbox Name\|Tool Name” pair, the PaleoGIS will run that Toolbox tool at PaleoGIS extension startup time. That tool can be a out-of-the-box ESRI tool, or a user-created tool. By default, no tool is run.
ATB_BEFORE_FC_RECON	No	ToolboxName\|ToolName	“”	If this value is set to valid “Toolbox Name\|Tool Name” pair, the PaleoGIS will run that Toolbox tool before each layer in the TOC is reconstructed. That tool can be a out-of-the-box ESRI tool, or a user-created tool. By default, no tool is run.
ATB_BEFORE_RECONSTRUCTION	No	ToolboxName\|ToolName	“”	If this value is set to valid “Toolbox Name\|Tool Name” pair, the PaleoGIS will run that Toolbox tool before a reconstruction is completed. That tool can be a out-of-the-box ESRI tool, or a user-created tool. By default, no tool is run.
ATB_COOKIE_CUTTER	Yes	Analysis Tools\|Intersect	Analysis Tools\|Intersect	This value must be set to a valid “Toolbox Name\|Tool Name” pair intersecting the Display layers with a “cookie cutter” layer. This is an essential part of performing reconstructions.
ATB_DELETE	Yes	Data Management Tools\|Delete	Data Management Tools\|Delete	When PaleoGIS needs to delete a feature class, it calls this toolbox tool. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_DISSOLVE	Yes	Data Management Tools\|Dissolve	Data Management Tools\|Dissolve	When PaleoGIS needs to do a dissolve on a feature class, it calls this toolbox tool. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_FC_COPY	Yes	Conversion Tools\|FeatureClassToFeatureClass	Conversion Tools\|FeatureClassToFeatureClass	When PaleoGIS needs to do a copy on a feature class, it calls this toolbox tool. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable. This method of copying is obsolete but still moderately in use.
ATB_GROUP_FC_COPY	No	Conversion Tools\|FeatureClassToGeodatabase	Conversion Tools\|FeatureClassToGeodatabase	This method of copying is obsolete in PaleoGIS, but should be left in the table for backwards compatibility.
ATB_GROUP_RASTER_COPY	No	Conversion Tools\|RasterToGeodatabase	Conversion Tools\|RasterToGeodatabase	This method of copying is obsolete in PaleoGIS, but should be left in the table for backwards compatibility.
ATB_MOSAIC	Yes	Data Management Tools\|Mosaic	Data Management Tools\|Mosaic	This method is used for one step in raster reconstruction. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_RASTER_COPY	Yes	Data Management Tools\|Resample	Data Management Tools\|Resample	This method is used for one step in raster reconstruction. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_RASTER_WARP	Yes	Data Management Tools\|Warp	Data Management Tools\|Warp	This method is used for one step in raster reconstruction. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_RENAME	Yes	Data Management Tools\|Rename	Data Management Tools\|Rename	When PaleoGIS needs to rename a feature class, it calls this toolbox tool. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_REPAIR_GEOMETRY	Yes	Data Management Tools\|RepairGeometry	Data Management Tools\|RepairGeometry	When PaleoGIS needs to repair the geometry of a vector feature class, it calls this toolbox tool after assigning plate codes. Users can change to a different tool if needed, but this is not advisable.
ATB_SHOW_TOOLBOX_WINDOW	Yes		FALSE	Required for correctly displaying all ArcToolbox Tools that are run. Do not change.
ATB_SHOWPROGRESS	Yes		TRUE	Required for correctly displaying all ArcToolbox Tools that are run. Do not change.
ATB_VALIDATE	Yes		FALSE	Required for correctly displaying all ArcToolbox Tools that are run. Do not change.
CACHE_PATH	Yes	C:\Temp\PaleoGIS\cache.gdb	%TEMP%\cache.gdb	Sets the path to the PaleoGIS data cache. This setting sets the value for the Cache Path in the Misc. Settings tab in the Configuration window. This value can also be set and saved using the Change Cache Path button in the “Misc. Settings” tab.
CACHE_ROTATION_TABLES	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, makes a copy of the plate model rotation tables in the local cache so that PaleoGIS will be able to work from the cached copy during reconstructions. This option is useful for increasing performance when the plate model is stored in a remote network location instead of on the local machine.
CRS_IGNORE_AGES	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, makes it such that any reconstructions and animations will ignore the “appearance” and “disappearance” fields in the plate model and any user data layers. This means that regardless of the reconstruction age, all plate model features and all user data features that intersect a plate polygon in the plate model will be reconstructed and displayed in a reconstruction or animation. This setting corresponds to the “Ignore assigned ages” option in the Configuration window “Advanced Settings” tab.
CRS_IGNORE_CHILDREN	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, removes the linkage between a parent plate and its children when using the Drag and Drop and the Spin and Drop tools on the Plate Model Tools toolbar. This option does not affect reconstructions and animations. This setting corresponds to the “Ignore children” option in the Configuration window “Advanced Settings” tab.
DEFORMATION_ENABLED	No	TRUE	FALSE	Determines if deformation is enabled. This setting corresponds to the “Enable deformation” option in the Configuration window “Advanced Settings” tab.
EDIT_SKIP_PLATE_LIST	No	FALSE	TRUE	When performing plate model pole-of-rotation edits using tools from the PaleoGIS: Plate Model Tools toolbar, if this option is set to TRUE, the user must save the edits (using the Pole Saver tool) for a given plate before the poles for another plate can be edited. If this option is set to FALSE, multiple plates can be edited before saving, and then when the Pole Saver tool is clicked, a list of modified poles will be displayed, and each edited pole can be saved at that time.
EXCEPTION_CONTACTINFO	Yes		The Rothwell Group, L.P. at PaleoGIS@RothwellGroup.com	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_DEFAULTDOMAIN	Yes		paleogis.com	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_DISPLAYDIALOG	Yes		TRUE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_EMAILSCREENSHOT	Yes		FALSE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_EMAILTO	Yes		paleogis@rothwellgroup.com	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_IGNOREDEBUG	Yes		FALSE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_KILLAPPONEXCEPTION	Yes		TRUE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_LOGTOEVENTLOG	Yes		FALSE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_LOGTOFILE	Yes		TRUE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_SENDEMAIL	Yes		FALSE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_SMTPSERVER	Yes		NONE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
EXCEPTION_TAKESCREENSHOT	Yes		TRUE	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
HELP_PATH	Yes		http://www.paleogis.com/dotnetnuke/UsersManual/tabid/56/Default.aspx	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff
HELP_PATH_LOCAL	Yes	PaleoGIS_User_Manual.pdf	PaleoGIS_User_Manual.pdf	Name of the local copy of the User’s Manual installed with PaleoGIS in the PaleoGIS installation folder, usually at C:\Program Files (x86)\Rothwell\PaleoGIS.
IGNORE_REPAIR_FEATURES	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, can improve reconstruction performance by skipping the repair of any invalid features that might be created as a result of the intersection process between the plate model "cookie cutter" layer and user data layers. Determines if timeslice layers are enabled. This setting corresponds to the “Skip repairing features” option in the Configuration window “Advanced Settings” tab.
INCLUDE_GEOLOGIC_AGE_IN_MAP_LABEL	No	FALSE	TRUE	Determines if the geologic age will be included in the reconstruction map label. This setting corresponds to the “Geologic age” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
INCLUDE_NUMERIC_AGE_IN_MAP_LABEL	No	FALSE	TRUE	Determines if the geologic age will be included in the reconstruction map label. This setting corresponds to the “Numeric age” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
INCLUDE_PLATEMODEL_IN_MAP_LABEL	No	FALSE	TRUE	Determines if the plate model name will be included in the reconstruction map label. This setting corresponds to the “Plate model name” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
INCLUDE_RELATIVETO_IN_MAP_LABEL	No	FALSE	TRUE	Determines if the fixed plate ID will be included in the reconstruction map label. This setting corresponds to the “[Relative to...]...” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
INCLUDE_TIMESCALE_IN_MAP_LABEL	No	TRUE	FALSE	Determines if the timescale name will be included in the reconstruction map label. This setting corresponds to the “Timescale name” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
LABEL_POSITION	No	TOP, RIGHT	BOTTOM, CENTER	Sets the position of the reconstruction map label within the map. Allowed values are: “BOTTOM, CENTER”, “BOTTOM, RIGHT”, “BOTTOM, LEFT”, "CENTER, RIGHT", "CENTER, LEFT", "TOP, CENTER", "TOP, RIGHT", and "TOP, LEFT". This setting corresponds to the “Label Position” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
LAST_USED_MODEL	Yes	Demo UTIG Plates Model	Demo Scotese Model	Holds the name of the last model used so it can be automatically loaded it in the next PaleoGIS session.
LAST_USED_REFERENCE_FRAME	Yes	0	0	Holds the plate code for the last used reference frame.
LAST_USED_TIMESCALE	Yes	DNAG	DNAG 1999	Holds the name of the last used timescale.
LAST_USED_TIMESCALE_SORT	No	Alpha	Age	Holds the name of the last used timescale sort method - either “Alpha” or “Age”. This setting corresponds to the “Timescale Age Sorting” option in the Configuration window “Basic Options” tab.
LEFT_ALIGN_LABEL	No	TRUE	FALSE	Determines if the text in the reconstruction map label is left justified (value = TRUE) or center justified (value = FALSE). This setting corresponds to the “Left align text” option in the Configuration window “Label Options” tab.
LOG_LEVEL	Yes	INFO, ERROR, or WARN	ERROR	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff.
LOGFILE_PATH	Yes	C:\Temp\PaleoGIS\PaleoGIS_Log.txt	%USERPROFILE%\PaleoGIS_Log.txt	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff.
MAKE_LABEL_EDITABLE	No	TRUE	TRUE	Allows the user to move or edit the reconstruction map label.
PG_ANALYSIS_1 PG_ANALYSIS_2 PG_ANALYSIS_3 PG_ANALYSIS_X...	Yes	Azimuth & Rate vs. Time\|AzimuthAndRateExt.DLL#AzimuthAndRateExt.AzimuthAndRateExt	“”	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff.
PROXY_SERVER_BYPASSEXPECT100	No	TRUE	TRUE	This setting is required to be TRUE by most proxy servers for proper connection to the PaleoGIS license server. For more information contact your IT department. This setting corresponds to the “Bypass Expect100Continue header” option in the Configuration window “Misc. Options” tab.
PROXY_SERVER_SETTINGS	No	N/A	N/A	This setting will only exist if proxy server settings have been saved via the “Proxy Server Information” form in the Configuration window “Misc. Settings” tab. Do not manually change the value of this setting in the “Applications Settings” table or directly in PaleoGIS_Settings.mdb.
PROXY_SERVER_SETTINGS_DISABLED	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, causes PaleoGIS to ignore the proxy information in the “Proxy Server Information” form in the Configuration window “Misc. Settings” tab. This setting corresponds to the “Disable proxy server settings” option in the same tab.
PROXY_SERVER_SETTINGS_SHOW	No	TRUE	FALSE	When value = TRUE, makes the “Proxy Server Information” form visible in the Configuration window “Misc. Settings” tab.
RASTER_PIXELPERMINUTE	Yes	20000	0	The processing rate for the last raster reconstruction. Used for estimating the length of the next raster reconstruction.
RASTER_PLATECOUNT	Yes	130	0	The number of plates overlapping the last raster reconstruction. Used for estimating the length of the next raster reconstruction.
RASTER_POSTPROCPIXELPERMINUTE	Yes	10000	0	The processing rate for the last raster reconstruction that had the post processing option enabled. Used for estimating the length of the next raster reconstruction.
SCRATCH_DIRECTORY	Yes	C:\Temp\PaleoGIS\	%TEMP%\	Sets the output directory for all PaleoGIS output files. This setting sets the value for the Scratch Path in the Misc. Settings tab in the Configuration window. This value can also be set and saved using the Change Scratch Path button in the “Misc. Settings” tab.
TIMESLICE_ENABLED	Yes	TRUE	FALSE	Determines if timeslice layers are enabled. This setting corresponds to the “Enable time slice layers” option in the Configuration window “Advanced Settings” tab.
VERSION	No	4.3	Value depends on the current version.	Set by Rothwell, do not change unless directed by support staff

PaleoGIS Metadata Keywords

PaleoGIS can be instructed to perform certain specialized functions on a specific layer based on certain keywords in that layer’s ArcGIS metadata. This capability is primarily intended to be used by plate modelers to add custom functionality their plate models. The available metadata keywords and their functions are described in the table below. To add either of these capabilities to a layer, the keyword must be included in the the “Purpose” field in the layer’s metadata. There can be any other text in the “Purpose” field, so this does not preclude using the “Purpose” field as it was intended, but the PaleoGIS keyword must be on a line by itself within the “Purpose” field.

Due to metadata changes made by ESRI starting in ArcMap 10.0, in order to access the metadata “Purpose” field, you must download and install the FGDC Metadata Editor add-in in ArcCatalog. From this add-in you can open a layer’s FGDC compliant metadata which contains the “Purpose” field. Entering the PaleoGIS keywords using ESRI’s standard metadata interface will NOT write the keywords to the correct location in the metadata, and therefore the keywords will not be recognized by PaleoGIS. Conversely, keywords entered into the “Purpose” field using the FGDC Metadata Editor will not be visible in via the standard metadata interface even though they will still be available for use by PaleoGIS.

Keyword

Action

CACHE_IGNORE_DEF_QUERY

This keyword causes PaleoGIS to copy the ENTIRE dataset to the cache, even if only a subset of the data is visible in the present day map due to a definition query. Normal PaleoGIS functionality based on appearance and disappearance ages will then act on the data in the cache causing the appropriate data to be reconstructed for specific ages and appear in the reconstruction results. This feature is useful when the data set contains data for various ages, but it is desirable to only display the present day data on the present day map. In order for this functionality to work correctly, the dataset must contain Appearance and Disappearance columns that are populated to define the existence of the dataset features based on age.

TIME_DEPENDENT_COPY_TABLE_SQL= SQL query

Putting this keyword along with an SQL query in a joined table allows PaleoGIS to support “time-dependent joins”. PaleoGIS normally preserves feature class-to-table joins during reconstructions, which works well with one-to-one joins, but doesn’t work for one-to-many joins. A common need for one-to-many joins is to represent the evolution of well stratigraphy over time: a vertical well is represented by a single point on the map, but this point can be joined to a stratigraphic database that details the age dependent composition of the well. By using the TIME_DEPENDENT_COPY_TABLE_SQL setting with an appropriate SQL query, PaleoGIS will perform a one-to-many join during reconstructions by joining the well point with the row from the stratigraphic database that corresponds to the reconstruction age.

In order for this keyword to work, the SQL must contain a replaceable parameter that will customize the SQL query on the fly. The available replaceable parameters are:

%AGE%: Age of reconstruction

%PM%: Plate Model name

%RF%: Reference Frame plate number

Example:

TIME_DEPENDENT_COPY_TABLE_SQL= StratAge = %AGE%

For a reconstruction age of 100.5Ma this example will cause PaleoGIS to filter a joined table using the query “StratAge = 100.5”

These SQL queries can get as complicated as needed in order to produce the required result - they just need to be valid SQL (once the replaceable keyword substitutions have been made).

Product Support

The Rothwell Group, L. P. provides PaleoGIS product support for all users. For any questions concerning PaleoGIS, please contact us:

www.paleogis.com/support

support@rothwellgroup.com

Appendix A: ArcMap Skills

ArcMap Table of Contents

The ArcMap Table of Contents is the column of layers listed on the left side of the ArcMap main window.

In the above example, there are two data frames with three layers each. “EarthByte_demo” is active, as indicated by the heading in bold.

Activating a Data Frame

Click to highlight the data frame heading and then right-click on the mouse. The following menu will display.

Select Activate. The data frame and its layers will then be activated.
You can also quickly activate data frames in ArcMap by holding down the ALT key and then left clicking on the data frame you wish to activate.

Setting Layer Properties in ArcMap

Setting Layer Visibility

In order for the PaleoGIS to work, one or more layers will need to be visible within the data frame. To change the visibility of a layer either check (visible) or uncheck (not visible) the check box to the left of the layer name in the Table of Contents.

Setting Display Units for a Layer

Note: The default Unit of Measure for all layers in an ArcMap project is set to Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds.

Select the data frame heading and right-click the mouse. The following menu will display.

Select Properties and the Data Frame Properties window will display.

Select the General tab.
Under the Units section, click on the Display dropdown menu and select the desired Unit of Measurement in which the layer will be displayed.
Click OK.

Setting Selectable Layers

In the ArcMap Table of Contents, right click the layer that you want to limit selections to and select Selection > Make This The Only Selectable Layer as show below:

Select Feature

To select a feature in a layer, click on the Select Features tool in the ArcMap toolbar, then click on the feature to be selected. By default, the selected feature will be highlighted in light blue.

Selecting more than one Feature in a Layer

While holding down the Shift key, use the Select Features tool to select the desired features.

Using the Select Features tool, click and drag a box around the desired features. When using this method, features that fall partially or wholly inside the box will be selected. Features will be selected from all of the currently selected layers.

Note: To de-select the features, from the ArcMap toolbar click Selection > Clear Selected Features.

Note: There are various other ways of selecting features in ArcMap, including selecting a feature by using shapes, finds, records, or a query. For more information, go to the ArcMap help topic Selecting Features in a Layer.

Selecting Only One Feature in a Layer with Stacked Polygons

The PaleoGIS tools will require that only ONE feature is selected. If multiple polygons are stacked in a layer, they will ALL be selected with the Select Features tool. When this happens, a warning that more than one feature is selected will display. In this case, use the attribute table to select the one desired feature.

Use the Select Features tool to select the desired feature, then right-click on the layer in the table of contents. The following menu will display.

Select Open Attribute Table and the attribute table for the selected layer will display as follows.

Note: The selected features will be highlighted.

Click on the Show selected records button at the bottom of the table. Now only the selected features will be shown in the table.
Click to highlight the desired feature from the table. Only that feature will be selected in the layer.
Close the table.

The Rothwell Group, L.P. www.paleogis.com